Colour that identifies treated seed and protects your brand — not decoration.
Effect pigments dedusted without added water: OSC Grade for organic seed production, SC Grade for conventional and microplastic-free (MPF) coatings. This page answers three questions coating formulators and seed technologists ask us most — whether dedusted pigments are available, how long qualification takes and what a modern effect pigment does for the coating — with the documents your regulatory team and your customers will ask for.
Yes. OSC Grade is developed for organic seed production, and SC Grade is designed for conventional and microplastic-free (MPF) coatings. The latest CTA series of pearlescent pigments on synthetic mica, with an anti-dusting treatment, has no added water, no preservative, no biocide. FOC samples are available from Riga stock, with TDS, SDS and other documents.
No, all documents arrive with the samples. Composition of raw materials, absence of microplastics, REACH compliance and the regulatory documentation plan are signed and available online; SDS and TDS come with the first samples; the remaining items follow a published schedule. If you prefer, we run the screening together in your coating system.
CTA artificial mica-based pearlescent pigments have a stable composition and a smoother surface than natural mica. Colours become shinier and stay cleaner even in MPF coatings, at prices comparable to natural mica. The dedusted grades disperse well in aqueous film formers and stay outside the microplastic definition of Regulation (EU) 2023/2055.
Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 restricts intentionally added microplastics. Seed coatings without plant protection products (PPP) must comply by October 2028, treated seeds by October 2031. CTA pigments are inorganic mica-based materials, outside the definition of synthetic polymer microparticles by design. Your coating will change — the pigment doesn't need to.
Download the Statement on the Absence of Microplastics (CT-REG-001, PDF)
The components of the anti-dusting treatments of OSC and SC Grade are not synthetic polymer microparticles; the microplastic-free status of the pigment is unchanged (Statement on the Absence of Microplastics, CT-REG-001, v2.1; Statements on the Anti-dusting Treatment, CT-REG-031 and CT-REG-030, on request).
OSC Grade and SC Grade are the dedusted forms of the CTA pigments: the same inorganic pigment with an anti-dusting treatment on the flakes. FOC samples ship from Riga stock with TDS and SDS. Dry pearlescent flakes dust at weighing and dosing. In MPF coatings the pigment goes into an aqueous system, and dust at the dosing point means housekeeping and operator exposure. The dedusted grades solve this in the pigment itself, without water: the powder handles cleanly and brings neither water nor preservative into your formulation.
At weighing and dosing: handling, housekeeping and operator exposure in your plant. This is what OSC and SC Grade solve. Powder dustiness is classified under EN 15051-3:2025; the independent classification of OSC and SC Grade is planned for Q4 2026 (in-house drop test 5 October 2026).
Abrasion of the finished coating during handling and sowing, measured by the Heubach dust-off test (Euroseeds method). It depends on the film former, the dosage and the process, not on the pigment form alone. Our part: fine fractions (5–30 µm) that anchor in the film former at recommended dosages. Comparative Heubach dust-off data in a model seed coating — planned for H1 2027.
Anti-dusting treatment made exclusively from components of plant origin (non-GMO), selected for compatibility with Regulation (EU) 2018/848. Intended for organic seed production.
OSC Grade is not an organic certification. An application for listing in the FiBL Input List is planned for Q4 2026; no listing decision has been received yet. Please check the eligibility of the complete coating with your control body.
Anti-dusting treatment made from food-grade components; intended for conventional and microplastic-free coating systems. Not intended for organic production.
Some dedusted pearlescent pigments are wetted with water. That costs you: high water activity (aw), lower solids in the coating, a microbiological risk that calls for a preservative, and caking in storage. OSC and SC Grade keep water activity at dry-powder level — measured by LATSERT (independent laboratory, Riga).
| Criterion | Dry powder | Water-wetted pearlescent pigment | OSC & SC Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust on dosing | High — a well-known problem in the industry | Low | Very low — in-house drop test, 5 October 2026; EN 15051-3:2025 classification Q4 2026 |
| Water activity (aw, 25 °C) | ≈ dry | aw = 0.997 5–30 µm sample · LATSERT · ISO 18787:2017 · 12 October 2026 | CTA82 OSC Grade aw = 0.201 CTA82 SC Grade aw = 0.110 LATSERT · ISO 18787:2017 · 7 October 2026 |
| Effect on coating solids | None | Added water lowers solids | None — no added water |
| Microbial stability / preservatives | n/a | Needs a preservative or biocide | No preservative, no biocide — water activity well below aw ≈ 0.6, the commonly cited lower limit for microbial growth |
| Caking in storage | Low | Risk | Low |
| Organic production | Depends | Depends on the wetting agents | OSC Grade: natural-origin, non-GMO components selected for compatibility with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (not an organic certification) |
In progress: dustiness classification of the powder (EN 15051-3) — Q4 2026. Planned: Heubach dust-off data for coated seed — H1 2027.
| Criterion | OSC Grade | SC Grade | Loose powder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intended use | organic seed production | conventional and MPF coating systems | lab and closed dosing |
| Anti-dusting treatment | components of plant origin only (non-GMO), selected for Regulation (EU) 2018/848 | food-grade components | none |
| Dustiness | very low (in-house drop test); EN 15051-3 classification planned Q4 2026 | same as OSC Grade | not dedusted |
| Water activity (aw) | aw = 0.201 (CTA82, 25 °C, LATSERT; report on request) | aw = 0.110 (CTA82, 25 °C, LATSERT; report on request) | — |
| Preservatives / biocides | none | none | none |
| Synthetic polymer microparticles | none; Statement CT-REG-031 on request | none; Statement CT-REG-030 on request | none (CT-REG-001) |
| Organic production | intended; FiBL application planned Q4 2026, not an organic certification | not intended | — |
| Documents | TDS / SDS with samples, CT-REG-031 on request, aw test report on request | TDS / SDS with samples, CT-REG-030 on request, aw test report on request | TDS / SDS |
FOC screening samples of OSC Grade and SC Grade (CTA82, CTA110, CTA120, CTA123, CTA325 and others) ship from Riga stock.
The CTA pigment itself is not classified under CLP. Classification and labelling of OSC and SC Grade are given in their Safety Data Sheets, supplied with samples.
FOC samples from 50 g · from Riga stock · in 48 h
An organic seed producer — and the formulator who supplies them — must be able to explain every component to a control body. OSC Grade is the same inorganic CTA pigment covered by the Statement on the Absence of Microplastics (CT-REG-001, v2.1), with an anti-dusting treatment made exclusively from components of plant origin (non-GMO), selected for compatibility with Regulation (EU) 2018/848. No preservative, no biocide, no added water: CTA82 OSC Grade water activity (aw) = 0.201 at 25 °C, measured by LATSERT (independent laboratory, Riga), ISO 18787:2017, 7 October 2026.
Your control body decides eligibility for the complete coating — film former, pigment and additives together. We supply the documents it asks for.
Every new pigment passes the same checks: composition, REACH status, heavy metals, microplastic status and, for organic production, every component explained to a control body. The Documents Pack answers them in one place: the signed statements are online, SDS and TDS come with the samples, the rest follows the dates below. If you prefer, we run the qualification tests together, in your coating system, with one ChemTech technical contact.
Effect Pigments for Seed Coating — introduction for partners (PDF)
FOC samples in 48 h from Riga stock
Joint qualification: screening trial in your coating system
Documents Pack →Colour matching to your requirement
Documentation: public statements online, full dossier under NDA
Natural mica varies from deposit to deposit and lot to lot; iron, colour impurities and surface roughness dull the pearl effect. CTA pigments are built on synthetic fluorphlogopite with a stable composition and a smoother surface: whites stay white, golds stay clean, and the price stays at the level of natural mica.
| Parameter | Natural mica-based pearlescent pigment | CTA synthetic mica-based pearlescent pigment |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate composition | Varies by deposit and lot | Stable: synthetic fluorphlogopite |
| Shine / brightness | Dull, not stable | Bright, stable |
| Colour purity | Yellowish / greyish tint | Pure colours; the comparison is shown in the photo above |
| Heavy-metal profile | Deposit-dependent | Specification limits per element (incl. Ni, Cr(VI), Tl); guaranteed limits in the Statement on Heavy Metals Content (CT-REG-022) after accredited ICP-MS verification — Q4 2026 |
| Price level | Baseline | Comparable to natural mica |
| Natural mica mining in the supply chain | Yes | No |
We expect no effect on germination or vigour at typical dosages (1–3% of the coating): mica-based pigments are chemically inert and insoluble. Germination and vigour testing under ISTA methods is planned; results will be published here when available.
No. Neither a preservative nor a biocide is added: microbiological stability comes from low water activity. CTA82 OSC Grade aw = 0.201 and CTA82 SC Grade aw = 0.110 at 25 °C, measured by LATSERT (independent laboratory, Riga), ISO 18787:2017, 7 October 2026. Batches ship with aw and particle-size declarations; the test reports are available on request. What dedusted OSC and SC Grade are.
OSC Grade — anti-dusting treatment made exclusively from components of plant origin (non-GMO), selected for compatibility with Regulation (EU) 2018/848. Intended for organic seed production. OSC Grade is not an organic certification. An application for listing in the FiBL Input List is planned for Q4 2026; no listing decision has been received yet. Please check the eligibility of the complete coating with your control body. OSC Grade for organic seed production.
The composition is confidential. The Statements on the Anti-dusting Treatment, CT-REG-031 (OSC Grade) and CT-REG-030 (SC Grade), describe the nature and regulatory status of the components and are available on request. The full composition and test data are shared under a non-disclosure agreement with qualified partners and, where required, with your control body. Request technical dossier under NDA
Fine fractions (5–30 µm) are selected to anchor in the film former at recommended dosages; dust-off also depends on the film former, the dosage and the process. Comparative Heubach dust-off data in a model seed coating (current Euroseeds method, ring-tested laboratory) — planned for H1 2027. Two kinds of dust.
Yes. CTA pigments are inorganic materials, outside the definition of synthetic polymer microparticles in Regulation (EU) 2023/2055, and the components of the anti-dusting treatments are not synthetic polymer microparticles either. Statement on the Absence of Microplastics (CT-REG-001, v2.1, PDF).
No. Fluorine is a structural constituent of the inorganic synthetic fluorphlogopite lattice; total fluorine is therefore not a PFAS indicator for this product. No organofluorine compounds are used or intentionally added; the products contain no carbon–fluorine bonds. Full FAQ on the CTA Series page.
CTA pigments have specification limits per element (incl. Ni, Cr(VI), Tl), available on request. Guaranteed limits will be stated in the Statement on Heavy Metals Content (CT-REG-022) after accredited ICP-MS verification (ISO/IEC 17025), with a certificate of analysis per batch — in progress, Q4 2026. Documents Pack.
Pearlescent coatings change seed reflectance in a consistent, characterisable way. We can provide reflectance data and support sorter calibration during trials.
FOC samples from 50 g, in 48 h from Riga stock; pilot lots from single-bag quantities; production quantities from stock in Riga. Small enough to trial, fast enough to scale.
Yes. Shade exclusivity is available for your crop segment: we reserve custom grades per customer. Ask your ChemTech technical contact for terms.
Pearlescent pigments look expensive per kilogram and cost cents per seeding unit. Check your numbers.
Enter your quoted pigment price to see the cost per hectare. Request a quote →
Typically below 0.1% of the seed unit price.
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